Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

Eurasia Review: News & Analysis

---

• Ashton – Füle Statement On EU-Georgia Relations And Upcoming Elections
• Exploring Europe’s Role In The South China Sea – Interview
• Mexican Elections, Terrorism, And The PRI: Cartel War In Flux? – Analysis
• NAM: Towards Breaking Western Stranglehold Of Power – OpEd
• France Warns Israel Against Iran Attack
• Lufthansa Flight Attendants To Strike On Tuesday
• Hezbollah Denies It Has Chemical Weapons
• Moody’s Cuts EU Outlook To ‘Negative’
• Olli Rehn: Towards A Genuine Economic And Monetary Union – Speech
• EU Aims To Stop Home-Made Explosives With New Restrictions On High-Risk Chemical Sales
• Obama After Touring Flood Damage From Hurricane Isaac – Transcript
• Obama Tours Storm-Ravaged Louisiana
• Sri Lanka’s President Must Protect Sri Lanka’s National Security From India – OpEd
• US Election: Romney ‘Humanised’ At Tampa Extravaganza – Analysis
• Palestinian Legislative Council Elections: A Different Point Of View – OpEd
• India: Reviving Risks In Tripura – Analysis
• India: An Ever-Present Danger In Manipur – Analysis
• Vietnam’s New Kilo-class Submarines: Game-Changer In Regional Naval Balance? – Analysis
• 2 Million Friends: A New Approach In Afghanistan – OpEd
• Ankara Has Fallen Into The ‘Syrian Trap’ – Analysis
• China Faces Cost Of Fast Work – Analysis
• US: Why Did Ex-Marine Kill Two Colleagues? – OpEd
• The Big Lie About Police Brutality – OpEd
• Pussy Riot Lawyers Reject TV Offer For Public Apology
• 10,000 Syrians Stuck At Turkish Border As Violence Continues
• Burma: Total Acquires 40% Interest In Offshore Block M-11
• Turkey: Calls To End Impunity For State Killings, Disappearances
• New Divorce Legislation Passed In West Bank
• India’s Nepal Policy – Analysis
• SPDC Completes Sale Of Nigerian Oil Mining Lease

Ashton – Füle Statement On EU-Georgia Relations And Upcoming Elections Posted: 03 Sep 2012 09:40 PM PDT By EU High Representative/ Vice-President Catherine Ashton and Commissioner Štefan Füle We wish to reaffirm that Georgia is an important partner for the European Union and we are committed to further deepening our very dynamic relations. The Association Agreement negotiations, including the deep and comprehensive free trade part, as well as the recently opened visa [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Exploring Europe’s Role In The South China Sea – Interview Posted: 03 Sep 2012 09:22 PM PDT “Europe could demonstrate its willingness to deploy warships into more volatile areas, to show that certain nations’ illegitimate claims to sovereignty in the South China Sea will not be recognized by Europeans,” argues strategic expert James Rogers. James Rogers, an academic specialising in international relations, strategic studies and European security at the Baltic Defense College, [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Mexican Elections, Terrorism, And The PRI: Cartel War In Flux? – Analysis Posted: 03 Sep 2012 09:02 PM PDT By Chris Ljungquist On Friday August 24th, an American diplomatic vehicle carrying two U.S. embassy staffers and a Mexican Navy captain was ambushed on a remote road outside of Cuernavaca, close to Mexico City. After the SUV veered off the road, three more vehicles blocked its escape route, and all four opened fire on the [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

NAM: Towards Breaking Western Stranglehold Of Power – OpEd Posted: 03 Sep 2012 08:59 PM PDT By Ismail Salami Despite the West’s deliberate inattention to and willful disregard for Non-Aligned Movement Summit in Tehran, there is no denying the fact that the summit has occasioned extreme chagrin in Washington and Israel and that dialogue among civilizations in achieving global peace is still a powerful feasibility. Just a day prior to the [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

France Warns Israel Against Iran Attack Posted: 03 Sep 2012 08:57 PM PDT French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Laurent Fabius, said Monday that any Israeli strike against Iran would “turn against Israel” and called for stronger sanctions to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. “I am absolutely opposed to the idea that Iran would gain nuclear weapons, but I think if there was an Israeli attack, unfortunately it [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Lufthansa Flight Attendants To Strike On Tuesday Posted: 03 Sep 2012 08:07 PM PDT Flight attendants for Germany’s largest air carrier Lufthansa will hold another strike on Tuesday in Berlin’s Tegel airport, the country’s flight attendant union UFO announced in a statement. Over 100 Lufthansa’s flights were cancelled last Friday in an almost eight-hour long strike of flight attendants in Frankfurt that left up to 26,000 passengers stranded. The [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Hezbollah Denies It Has Chemical Weapons Posted: 03 Sep 2012 08:04 PM PDT Lebanon’s Shiite group Hezbollah has no chemical weapons, but enough missiles to inflict a considerable damage on Israel in case of an assault, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said. “We have no chemical weapons and we do not need it… But we are capable of hitting painful for Israel targets. Israelis understand this and take [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Moody’s Cuts EU Outlook To ‘Negative’ Posted: 03 Sep 2012 08:02 PM PDT Moody’s ratings agency has downgraded its outlook on the Aaa rating of the European Union from ‘stable’ to ‘negative,’ linking the decision to a recent outlook downgrade of the bloc’s major economies. “The negative outlook on the EU’s long-term ratings reflects the negative outlook on the Aaa ratings of the member states with large contributions [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Olli Rehn: Towards A Genuine Economic And Monetary Union – Speech Posted: 03 Sep 2012 07:57 PM PDT Address to ECON Committee By Olli Rehn, Vice-President of the European Commission and member of the Commission responsible for Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Euro Mme Chair, Honourable Members, Ladies and Gentlemen, I want to thank you for having initiated this discussion on the deepening of the Economic and Monetary Union, a project on [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

EU Aims To Stop Home-Made Explosives With New Restrictions On High-Risk Chemical Sales Posted: 03 Sep 2012 07:49 PM PDT A draft law to restrict the general public’s access to chemicals that can be used to make home-made explosives was endorsed by the Civil Liberties Committee on Monday. Under the text, already agreed by Parliament and Council representatives, consumers will have to obtain a licence to buy these products, although some exemptions will be possible. [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Obama After Touring Flood Damage From Hurricane Isaac – Transcript Posted: 03 Sep 2012 07:45 PM PDT St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana By President Barack Obama Well, good afternoon, everybody. I want to just say, first of all, how proud I am to be joined by Governor Jindal, Senator Mary Landrieu, Senator David Vitter, Representative Cedric Richmond. We’ve got Mayor Mitch Landrieu of New Orleans, St. John the Baptist Parish President [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Obama Tours Storm-Ravaged Louisiana Posted: 03 Sep 2012 07:43 PM PDT U.S. President Barack Obama left the campaign trail on the eve of his party’s nominating convention to visit with Louisiana residents hard-hit by Hurricane Isaac. Obama toured St. John the Baptist Parish late Monday, about 50 kilometers outside of New Orleans, and met with residents, some of whom were forced to flee floodwaters by rushing [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Sri Lanka’s President Must Protect Sri Lanka’s National Security From India – OpEd Posted: 03 Sep 2012 07:24 PM PDT By Shenali Waduge When the majority of Sri Lankan’s however fascinated they are with Hindi movies remain concerned about the prominence given to India in Sri Lanka’s post conflict development that concern should not be ignored. The concern is nothing that India can be upset about. There is a history behind Sri Lankan’s resentment of [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

US Election: Romney ‘Humanised’ At Tampa Extravaganza – Analysis Posted: 03 Sep 2012 06:59 PM PDT By Ernest Corea Give an experienced, popular, and award winning film-star a captive audience and he will surely steal the show. That’s exactly what actor-politician Clint Eastwood did at the tightly scripted Republican Party convention which was recently held in Tampa, Florida. The four day convention shrank from four to three days, as the planned [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Palestinian Legislative Council Elections: A Different Point Of View – OpEd Posted: 03 Sep 2012 06:55 PM PDT By Haidar Eid Following assurances and promises by U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair to spread democracy in the Middle East only to see the destruction of Iraq and Afghanistan, a third of the Palestinian population (those in the 1967 territories) voted against the existing Palestinian National Authority government, led [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

India: Reviving Risks In Tripura – Analysis Posted: 03 Sep 2012 06:52 PM PDT By Giriraj Bhattacharjee On August 15, 2012, Tripura’s Chief Minister Manik Sarkar warned that a few militant cadres had made a ‘false surrender’ and had returned to the jungles after taking advantage of the various benefits allowed by the Government under its generous surrender schemes. The Chief Minister’s statement came in the midst of reports [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

India: An Ever-Present Danger In Manipur – Analysis Posted: 03 Sep 2012 06:50 PM PDT By Veronica Khangchian Independence Day celebrations on August 15, 2012, in Manipur were marred by a series of four bomb blasts in Imphal East, Imphal West and Thoubal Districts. Four civilians, including two women, were injured in the first incident, which took place near the Thoubal Mela Ground at around 7:30 am. The second blast [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Vietnam’s New Kilo-class Submarines: Game-Changer In Regional Naval Balance? – Analysis Posted: 03 Sep 2012 06:47 PM PDT The launch of Vietnam’s first Kilo-class submarine is another step closer to Hanoi’s dream of acquiring an undersea capability. Notwithstanding the media hype, Vietnam’s new Kilos are far from being the game-changer in the regional naval balance. By Koh Swee Lean Collin This week, Russia’s Admiralty Shipyard launched the first of six Kilo-class diesel-electric powered [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

2 Million Friends: A New Approach In Afghanistan – OpEd Posted: 03 Sep 2012 12:58 PM PDT By Johnny Barber Four decades of war. Two million people dead. Trillions of dollars spent. Money disappearing into the pockets of corrupt politicians, bureaucrats, policemen and the armed forces. No accountability. No transparency. No infrastructure. The misery and poverty of the majority of the people continues unabated, decade after decade. Children freeze to death in [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Ankara Has Fallen Into The ‘Syrian Trap’ – Analysis Posted: 03 Sep 2012 10:37 AM PDT By Anatoly Aseev Turkey’s foreign policy is going through a fiasco. The leader of the opposition Republican People’s Party even accused the country’s foreign minister of “narrow-mindedness” on live television. A scandal erupted after RPP MPs from were prevented from inspecting a Syrian refugee camp. In 2009, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, who at the [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

China Faces Cost Of Fast Work – Analysis Posted: 03 Sep 2012 10:33 AM PDT By Michael Lelyveld A deadly bridge accident in China’s northeast Harbin city has brought personal tragedy and a grim reminder of problems that the country will face from its building binge of the past several years. The collapse of an elevated ramp to the Yangmingtan Bridge on Aug. 24 killed three people and injured five [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

US: Why Did Ex-Marine Kill Two Colleagues? – OpEd Posted: 03 Sep 2012 10:28 AM PDT By Vladimir Gladkov A new shooting tragedy has shaken America. A 23-year-old ex-marine opened fire at his co-workers at a Pathmark supermarket in the early hours on Friday gunning down two people – an 18-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man. The killer, Terence Tyler, then turned the gun on himself. According to police, he was [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

The Big Lie About Police Brutality – OpEd Posted: 03 Sep 2012 10:24 AM PDT Police brutality is in the news, thanks to the widespread availability of amateur video and the omnipresence of security cameras. We’ve seen scene after scene of police beating the crap out of, and even shooting and killing unarmed or minimally dangrous students, women, old men and crazy people, many of them after they have been [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Pussy Riot Lawyers Reject TV Offer For Public Apology Posted: 03 Sep 2012 10:22 AM PDT (RFE/RL) — Lawyers for the three jailed members of the Russian feminist punk band Pussy Riot have rejected an offer for the women to apologize on state television for performing a song insulting President Vladimir Putin inside an Orthodox church. Managers of the nationally broadcast television program “Man And Law” offered to put the three [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

10,000 Syrians Stuck At Turkish Border As Violence Continues Posted: 03 Sep 2012 10:19 AM PDT Some 10,000 Syrian refugees fleeing the fighting are blocked for a week at the Turkish border. The influx could accelerate due to bombardment of Azaz town, located three kilometers from the border , reported anti-regime activists. According to a Reuters report, Syrian fighter aircraft bombarded the town Monday morning. Azaz, which is held by rebels, [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Burma: Total Acquires 40% Interest In Offshore Block M-11 Posted: 03 Sep 2012 10:11 AM PDT Total announced Monday the signature of an agreement with PTTEP for the acquisition of a 40% interest in the Production Sharing Contract covering the offshore Block M-11 in Martaban basin. PTTEP (PTT Exploration and Production Plc.), Thailand’s national company, will retain the operatorship. The block covers an area of 5,373 km², with a water depth [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Turkey: Calls To End Impunity For State Killings, Disappearances Posted: 03 Sep 2012 10:06 AM PDT The Turkish government should take action to address statutory time limits, witness intimidation, and other obstacles to the prosecution of members of security forces and public officials for killings, disappearances, and torture, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Those responsible for the serious human rights violations committed after the September 1980 military [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

New Divorce Legislation Passed In West Bank Posted: 03 Sep 2012 10:04 AM PDT Women who have not had sex with their husbands will be able to ask for a divorce under new legislation that came into effect on Monday, the head of Islamic courts in the Palestinian Authority said. Sheikh Yousef Ideis announced the implementation of the “bold” new law at a meeting with supreme court judges and [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

India’s Nepal Policy – Analysis Posted: 03 Sep 2012 10:01 AM PDT India is making hard attempts to mark its arrival to the apogee of global power. It has earned worldwide admiration for its identity as the world’s largest democracy, vibrant economy and also as a country with world’s largest stock of most competent youth power. However its closest neighbor in the North – Nepal has surprisingly [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

SPDC Completes Sale Of Nigerian Oil Mining Lease Posted: 03 Sep 2012 09:57 AM PDT Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell plc (Shell), completed on August 31st 2012 the assignment of its 30% interest in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 40 in the Niger Delta to Elcrest Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited. Total cash proceeds for SPDC amount to some US$102million. This divestment [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.